One more approval needed for EU-government digital identity wallets

The European Union has approved legislation by a wide margin that will give digital ID wallets to its residents so that they don’t have to pay private companies for the software.

The European Digital Identity Framework awaits final approval from the Council of Ministers.

People can use a commercial wallet to identify and authenticate themselves instead, but that software “raises trust, security and privacy concerns” for users, according to a government statement.

As might be expected, the digital identity wallet program will give users full control of their data, including the right to have that data deleted, said MEP Romana Jerković from Croatia.

Members of the European Parliament reportedly negotiated an open-source wallet that safeguards civil rights and creates an inclusive program even for people choosing a private option. The program also is supposed to have traceability and accountability.

European Parliament passed the regulation with a vote of 335 for to 190 against.

It is not specified with which businesses MEPs negotiated.

Along with the EU digital wallet, the law offers free qualified electronic signatures and wallet-to-wallet interactions, according to the government.

Article Topics

digital ID  |  digital wallets  |  electronic-signature  |  EU  |  EU Digital Identity Wallet  |  European Digital Identity Framework  |  legislation